happiness is priceless
by smileyfacebabe
Summary: Tauriel's standing at his front door, but the boys' are with Bilbo out of town and Thorin doesn't know what to do but reach out. He isn't cut out to be the emotional and comforting parent, but he'll give it a whirl anyway. Modern au.


Author's Note: I've had the _worst_ day today and I was miserable and shaking and crying for a good part of it. I nearly burst earlier just because my dad hugged me, so this was born. It's probably awful, but I don't care. Modern au world of mine. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

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Taruiel was at the front door, limbs jittering at her sides. She looked like one wrong move would spook her into bolting and Thorin swallowed thickly, unsure of what to do. Fili and Kili were out of town with Bilbo, visiting his relatives. The only reason Thorin was still in town was because of a meeting he had to attend the morning after next and then he was supposed to join them.

"Tauriel," he said, clearing his throat. The girl shivered a little bit before hunching in on herself even more, curling her arms around her own middle. Thorin felt his chest go tight with the same sense of panic that had filled him the first day Fili had come home with a split lip from school, muttering a sullen _they say I have a funny name_.

"Hi, I'm sorry," the fifteen year old said in a rush. She shifted uneasily from foot to foot before stepping back, three quick shuffling lurches. "Never mind, this was a terrible idea, I'll just-"

"Tauriel," Thorin said, a little sharply. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the girl denied immediately. "Nothing, everything's fine."

"Tauriel," Thorin coaxed, trying to imitate his husband's soothing voice. He wasn't sure he had gotten it right, but the teenager stopped backing up and shaking her head and just stood there, a slight tremor in her shoulders as she stared at him. He stepped forward, ducking down to look her in the eyes. They were shiny and wide, like she was holding back tears.

"Look," Thorin said suddenly, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. It was getting a little long and needed to be cut. "I'm miserable at this," he admitted to Tauriel. "If I didn't have Bilbo, well… I'd be a wreck of a parent that's for sure, but I'm always up for trying. So if you need something, kid, you're going to have to put it into words, as much as you can. I promise I'll do my best, though my best may be wretched and awful."

Tauriel laughed, a small thing like a bubbling fountain, wet and sad, before all of a sudden she was crying. Thorin yelped a little bit in surprise before he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the shaking girl.

"What's wrong," he whispered, "how can I help?" He gripped her hip, arm wrapped around her waist, while his other hand cradled the back of her head. She hid her face in his shoulder and shook, breath rattling in her throat in between hitching sobs. They stood there for a long moment, Thorin's heart in his throat with worry. He wasn't sure when it had happened, but at some point Tauriel had become one of his kids too, the same way Fili and Kili had gone from being his nephews to being his sons in his heart.

"Nothing's wrong," she whispered into his shoulder, clutching his shirt in shaking fingers. She was skin and bone against him and he clutched her back, determined to help. "Nothing's wrong, I'm just- I don't _know_," she screamed. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you," Thorin promised heatedly. "_Nothing_. I would not change a single thing about you, even in your most stubborn and frustrating times."

Tauriel sniffled against his chest. "Really," she asked, voice small. He could see the little ten year old girl from the playground, green band-aid on her cheek as she stood standing next to Fili, grinning from ear to ear when he announced her his new best friend. All boney elbows, flushed cheeks, and tangled hair, she was bright and full of laughter most days, but she had her stubborn, angry days just as everyone else.

"Really," he promised, squeezing her around the shoulders. She relaxed marginally, bit by bit, until she was leant against him like he was the only thing in the world keeping her upright. He made a split second decision then, not caring about the consequences as long as it made her smile.

"Call your foster parents," he said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and handing it to her. "Ask if you can come out to the country with us. We're not staying with Bilbo's cousins this time, so there's room in the cabin at the lake for you."

Something bright and hopeful bloomed across her cheeks like a firework. "Fili said the only reason you were in town was because of a meeting you had," she muttered, biting her lip. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," he said, pulling away. "Call them, my meeting was cancelled."

He caught a lot of flack at work for skipping the Monday meeting, but Tauriel spent the four hour car trip grinning from ear to ear, relaxed and happy in the passenger seat of his car. Nothing mattered as much as his kids' and their happiness and from that moment on, that was what Tauriel was to him and her happiness, just like the boys', mattered more than a few weeks of griping.


End file.
